1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hand operated impact device containing a guided ram for applying precise momentum force to a plurality of interchangeable tools.
2. Background of the Invention
With the recent boom in housing and real estate development, many companies are operating at maximum capacity to keep up with the demand for their services. As such, these companies employ workers for performing various construction and labor related tasks such as installing new underground facilities (i.e. cable, telephone, sprinklers, etc), compacting earth and stripping roof tiles to name a few. To accomplish the work, these companies must provide their workers with several hand tools such as axes, shovels, hedgers, and compactors among others. In addition, many of these companies have divisions which work on large machinery and must further provide employees with specialized slugging wrenches, sledges and other such tools. In each of these instances, the tools are utilized by imparting manual force through the tool to the object being worked on. In a typical example, a worker attempting to dig a trench must step on top of a shovel or swing a trench cutter (also known as a womper) or axe several times into the ground in order to make a hole. In addition to the physical exertion and inaccuracy caused by constantly swinging a heavy tool, workers often suffer injuries resulting from inadvertent contact with the tool in motion.
Several patents have been granted for impact type tools including: Lee U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,303; Corsini U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,586; and Trujillo U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,724, however, none of these address the issues outlined above.